French producer-DJ Feder has launched his new single titled Meghna, which is his version of nineties Bollywood hit, Ae ajnabi, originally composed by AR Rahman for the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Dil Se.
For Mani Rathnam’s 1998 film “Dil Se”, the song was recorded by Udit Narayan and Mahalaxmi Iyer. Feder discovered the song through a remix and instantly liked the original composition. He thought of creating a new version.
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Paying an ode to the original Ae ajnabi, Feder’s track also borrows its title from the film’s female protagonist Meghna, played by Manisha Koirala.
“I first heard this track while I was watching the American TV show ‘Entourage’, where ‘Ae ajnabi’ was sampled in. The remix had a more hip-hop vibe. Upon listening I decided to seek out the original and create my own interpretation of it,” said Feder.
Having heard Ae ajnabi, Feder even watched the film it was produced for, Dil Se, to discover more of A R Rahman’s musical genius.
“I also watched the film ‘Dil Se’ and was truly impressed with the music and performances. Even after 20 years of its release, I think Rahman’s music in the movie is very modern. In fact, when I heard ‘Chaiyya chaiyya’ I was blown away. I just wanted to say thank you to him and his music,” he added.
Feder, whose real name is Hadrien Federiconi, is known for songs like “Goodbye” and ‘Blind”.
Also a keen remixer, Feder has reworked tracks for the likes of David Guetta and Rudimental.
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